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Tag: Gov. Dixy Lee Ray

Governors’ executive orders over the years

Governors’ executive orders over the years

  Gov. Dixy Lee Ray issued several executive orders in 1980 that related to the Mount St. Helens eruption. (Photo courtesy of Washington State Archives) They might lack the authority and consensus of legislatively approved state laws, but executive orders are a powerful way that Washington’s governors have made things happen in state government over the years. Executive orders are formal orders issued by the governor, generally to cabinet agencies statewide, requiring that certain actions be taken. They may have…

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35 years later, Mount St. Helens docs top Archives poll

35 years later, Mount St. Helens docs top Archives poll

The anniversary of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens is still a memorable date for many Washingtonians. It also helped propel the documents related to that iconic volcanic event to an easy win in the May Archives Treasures online poll. The St. Helens eruption docs, which include a letter from President Jimmy Carter to Gov. Dixy Lee Ray, gathered 49 percent of the votes. The 1975 Vietnamese refugee photos and documents finished second with 33 percent, followed by Seattle…

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May Archives Treasures: Let’s vote!

May Archives Treasures: Let’s vote!

We’ve launched this month’s Archives Treasures online poll, so it’s time to vote on your favorite among these three choices: Seattle pioneer David Denny’s powder horn, photos and documents from the 1975 arrival of Vietnamese refugees in Washington, and documents related to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Vote using our online poll below. The poll closes at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, so don’t miss out on voting! Seattle pioneer David Denny’s powder horn 1975 Vietnamese refugee photos, documents…

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Archives Treasure #3: Mount St. Helens eruption docs

Archives Treasure #3: Mount St. Helens eruption docs

Monday marks the 35th anniversary of a tragic “where-were-you-when-it-happened” moment for many Washingtonians: the eruption of Mount St. Helens. On the morning of May 18, 1980, the cone-shaped volcano erupted violently, killing 57 people and thousands of animals, unleashing devastating mudslides, damaging or destroying more than 4 billion board feet of timber and sending an ash plume 12 miles into the sky and covering much of Eastern Washington with the gritty ash. The 1980 event was the deadliest and most…

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Doing research on WA governors? Check out the State Library

Doing research on WA governors? Check out the State Library

Gov. Clarence Martin, 1933-1941 (Photo courtesy of Washington State Library) If you’re doing research on Washington’s past governors, look no further than the Washington State Library. You will find all you’ll ever need to know about the governors of our beautiful state in the collection titled Washington State Research. A few of the more interesting pieces while searching through the collection are found in the executive orders section. There, you can take an in-depth look at executive orders issued by…

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Classic governor bill-signing photos: Ray and Spellman

Classic governor bill-signing photos: Ray and Spellman

(Photos courtesy of Washington State Archives.) It’s Day 3 of our weeklong series of blog posts featuring classic State Archives photos of previous Washington governors signing bills into law. Today’s subjects are Dixy Lee Ray and John Spellman. The top photo shows Ray at a well-attended bill-signing ceremony in the Legislative Building Rotunda either in the late 1970s or in 1980. Then-Lt. Gov. John Cherberg is at right. The bottom photo features Spellman putting his signature on legislation in his…

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Governors’ bill-signing pens over the years

Governors’ bill-signing pens over the years

For the past couple of weeks, Gov. Jay Inslee has been busy signing bills into law as proud legislators and bill supporters cluster around and watch each pen stroke. As is customary, the governor shakes hands, poses for photos and hands out souvenir  pens with his name on them as a keepsake to be used or framed. Since it’s “bill-signing season” here in Olympia, here’s a look at the collection of the bill-signing pens used by Washington governors going back…

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